Four Thoughts on a Fourth Place Team

So much could be said about this team and most of it would be vitriolic. Instead I offer four semi-related thoughts…

1. Long-time Detroit sportscaster Al Ackerman — who coined the phrase “Bless You, Boys” long before the 1984 season — often referred to Sparky Anderson as “Fifth-Place Sparky.” Anyone old enough to remember Sparky’s first four seasons in Detroit, that’s often where his clubs ended up. The saving grace was that back then the American League East was a seven-team division. This Tigers team sitting in fourth place should be humiliating for everyone in the organization. I wonder if it’s as embarrassing as it should be for some players in the clubhouse?

2. The last time the Tigers were in fourth place this season was on June 16. They’d lost to the Giants in San Francisco to fall six game under .500 at 32-38. Today the Tigers are four games under and it sure seems closer to eight, doesn’t it?

3. Not only did Chris Lambert make his major-league debut tonight, he made the first appearance by any Tigers player in club history with the last name Lambert. Speaking of name-game firsts, Gary Glover is the first-ever Glover to play for the Tigers. Insert punch line(s) here.

4. Finally, in the spirit of the bad old days Tigers fans seem to be reliving this season, let’s wish a Happy 32nd Birthday to Alex Sanchez. Could you imagine him lasting one day on a Jim Leyland-led team?

Hang in there…